How good was prime Mike Tyson?

[MiDKnighT]

Starting with the Ali era Prime vs Prime I'd say these guys could beat prime Tyson:

- Prime Foreman (whenever that is... he claims his older self would have whopped his younger self. I'm assuming he's talking about late 80s and very early 90s) - counters Tyson's style perfectly. Too big and too strong.
- Prime Ali - Too fast and too good
- Prime Lennox Lewis - just too big and too good
- Prime Holyfield - ditto
- Prime Bowe - the Bowe that beat Holyfield in their 1st match could beat prime Tyson - against just too big and too good
- Prime Klitchko brothers - I think they could weather the Tyson storm and win

And I'd say a toss up with these guys:

- Prime Liston - would be a heck of a war
- Prime Frazier - ditto
- Prime Holmes - leaning Holmes but could go either way I think...
- Prime Norton - leaning Tyson here as Norton had trouble with big punchers

Hard to call the older fighters as they were smaller back then (pre-Liston/Ali era). Also not counting active fighters as the story isn't finished with them.

[hugh grant]

I think we should ask.everyone who fought tyson.before he went prison how good he was.
Tyson had a shot at beating any heavyweight in history on points before he lost to douglas

[MiDKnighT]

Tyson had a shot at beating any heavyweight in history on points before he lost to douglas

Everyone is unstopptable until they lose...

1. Ali was unstoppable until he met Frazier.
2. Frazier was unstoppable until he met Foreman.
3. Foreman was unstoppable until he met Ali.
4. Tyson was unstoppable until he met Douglas.
5. Holyfield was unstoppable until he met Bowe.
6. Bowe was unstoppable until he rematched with Holyfield.

And so on...

If Tyson fought Holyfield or Foreman instead of Douglas in 1990 I would bet $$$ that Tyson loses that one too.

[Blond Beast]

Agreed . And that combo tyson threw was special . What a great combo right to the body and uppercut if I wasnt so tall for my weight I would have utilized that combo often . Not many people are prepared for punch selection like that.

Right. I’m 5’10” 210lbs in my best shape. I practiced that combo all the time. I remember Evander taking it though. I’ve always liked one armed combos, like the jab to the face with a left to the body. Looks cool when they get someone to protect the wrong side.

[QueensburyRules]

Starting with the Ali era Prime vs Prime I'd say these guys could beat prime Tyson:

- Prime Foreman (whenever that is... he claims his older self would have whopped his younger self. I'm assuming he's talking about late 80s and very early 90s) - counters Tyson's style perfectly. Too big and too strong.
- Prime Ali - Too fast and too good
- Prime Lennox Lewis - just too big and too good
- Prime Holyfield - ditto
- Prime Bowe - the Bowe that beat Holyfield in their 1st match could beat prime Tyson - against just too big and too good
- Prime Klitchko brothers - I think they could weather the Tyson storm and win

And I'd say a toss up with these guys:

- Prime Liston - would be a heck of a war
- Prime Frazier - ditto
- Prime Holmes - leaning Holmes but could go either way I think...
- Prime Norton - leaning Tyson here as Norton had trouble with big punchers

Hard to call the older fighters as they were smaller back then (pre-Liston/Ali era). Also not counting active fighters as the story isn't finished with them.

- -Nonsensical since U don't define their prime.

Moreover, there's double rare prime all the way to burnt prime, but myself I prefer medium rare when ordering prime beefsteak.

[SUBZER0ED]

Prime, focused Mike Tyson, right out of Cus D'Amato's gym was a formidable fighter. Those of you who don't think so should watch his early fights. A series of circumstances: Cus's death, Mike getting tied up with Don King, his marriage to Robin Givens & being incarcerated for 3 years, all contributed to his downfall. He hardly trained for Buster Douglas, got into drug abuse and fell into bouts of depression. The truth is, Mike never reached his full potential. By the time he finally fought the opponents we wanted to see him fight, he was an unfocused, faded shadow of what many thought he could have been.

[deathofaclown]

There are always so many what if's with Tyson. We could apply this to other boxers as well...

What if Rid**** Bowe was disciplined and laid off the cheeseburgers?

What if Buster Douglas stayed as disciplined as he was for the Tyson fight (and laid off the cheeseburgers...)?

What if Sonny Liston took Ali/Clay seriously and trained hard for him? (Or what if Liston didn't take a dive if you believe that)

What if George Foreman got a rematch with Ali?

We have to judge fighters on what what they did. Not what they could have done.

Yeah, I never understood this. You could literally do it with any fighter.

What if Malignaggi had power? He become a 2 weight world champ with the power of a 6 year old girl. Impressive in a way,

But the fact is if he had power, he may not have developed a style and jab that was effective for him to have a decent career

So all we can go on is what a fighter showed us.

People say Tyson would’ve been the greatest if Cus didn’t die. That’s pure speculation. He might’ve had the same flaws. Might’ve even been worse. Nobody can say.

[MiDKnighT]

People say Tyson would’ve been the greatest if Cus didn’t die. That’s pure speculation. He might’ve had the same flaws. Might’ve even been worse. Nobody can say.

Exactly. Some people judge Tyson on what he could have been, not what he did.

Bowe for example could have been better than Tyson ever was but he didn't have the discipline.

I followed boxing in the mid-80s - 90s. I saw Tyson coming up with every excuse not to fight Holyfield or Foreman for 2 years+ during his "prime". There's a reason why Tyson didn't want to fight Holyfield or Foreman in the late 80's or early 90's. Because he thought he would lose. He only agreed to fight Holyfield to avoid Lewis and because they (King and Tyson) thought Holyfield was done with health problems and losses to Bowe and Moorer. It turns out Holyfield still had something left.

[MiDKnighT]

- -Nonsensical since U don't define their prime.

OK I'll play.

Most people would say prime Foreman is 1973 Foreman but Foreman himself said his old self would whoop his younger self so perhaps the Foreman that annihilated Cooney by his definition.

Prime Ali is the Ali that beat Sonny Liston.

Prime Lewis is the Lewis that KO'd Golata in 1 and TKO'd Briggs in 5 in the following match.

Prime Holyfield is the Holyfield that beat Bowe during their 2nd fight.

Prime Bowe is the Bowe that beat Holyfield in their first match.

Klitchko brothers in the mid 2000s.

All would beat "prime" Tyson.

[Curtis Harper]

No...mike was a complete fighter with beautiful movement and brutal force.
Wilder looses every round he doesn’t knock you out,he’s an awful fighter with a huge punch and a talent for landing it.

Winning is winning.

Wilder wouldn't lose a single rd vs the guys Mike fought leading up to him being the youngest HW champ. I don't know how a fight fan can credit Mike for beating the guys he did YET call other guys resumes trashy !